A method for performing a neighbor-flipping transformation is provided. In one embodiment, a graph analysis program for computing a function relating to nodes in a directed graph is obtained and analyzed for neighborhood iterating operations, in which a function is computed over sets of nodes in the graph. For any detected neighborhood iterating operation, the method transforms the iterating operation by reversing the neighbor node relationship between the nodes in the operation. The transformed operation computes the same value for the function as the operation prior to transformation. The method alters the neighbor node relationship automatically, so that a user does not have to recode the graph analysis program. In some cases, the method includes construction of edges in the reverse direction while retaining the original edges in addition to performing the transformation.